6th case of rabies discovered, plan to stop outbreak expands

Raccoon rabies baiting now extends from the Oakville border to Lake Erie, as the Ministry of Natural Resource intensifies efforts to contain the outbreak.

The province also announced the discovery of a sixth case of rabies in the Hamilton area Wednesday.

"We're very busy. Staff are working incredibly hard," said Chris Davies, the ministry's manager of wildlife research.

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A map released by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) details the discovery of all six cases of raccoon rabies in the Hamilton area and their plans for baiting.

High density baiting — dropping toonie sized bait from helicopters, planes and by hand into the affected area at a rate of 150 baits per squared kilometre — has occurred within a four-kilometre radius of the discoveries (marked in red on the map).

Because of the proximity of the sixth case to cases two and three, no additional high density baiting is required, said Davies.

Low density baiting — 75 baits per square kilometer and marked in yellow on the map — is yet to be completed and will cover a 25 kilometre radius from the discovery, ranging from the northern edge of Burlington, past Haldimand County all the way to Lake Erie.

Some of the areas indicated on the map still require low density baiting, but Davies called the process a "patchwork quilt," and could not forecast just how many or what areas still need to be baited. He did say that the province has dropped 90,000 baits to date, and will be dropping 110,000 more in the future. They have more bait dropping scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Virus movement?

The minisiry successfully eradicated this strain of raccoon rabies from the province a decade ago and is determined not to let it regain a foothold. While the risk to humans is low, it is also of concern for livestock and pets.

He also adds that while the most recent rabies discovery takes place closer to the city, it is no indication that the virus is moving closer to the city, nor should it increase public concern.

"All it's telling us is where the positive cases are, but not where they came from or where the movement is ... (The movement) is something we'll never know."

One of the factors into the virus' movement has been the abnormally warm weather, said Davies. Raccoons normally return to their dens for winters at temperatures of -6 or -7 C, but the mild weather has allowed the virus to spread through Hamilton.

Of the 47 animals tested for rabies, six have turned up positive, he said. The province will continue to monitor areas inside outside of the baited zones before they can make the conclusion that the virus has been eradicated from the area.

To keep the public informed, Hamilton Public Health has a web page updating the city on rabies discoveries and more information on the virus. That can be found here.